Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Number of breweries in Europe 2009 - 2014

The brewing industry is booming in Europe. Pretty much everywhere (with one notable exception).

I had some idea of what was going on, but was still slightly shocked by the figures.In most European countries tha lastcouple of years have seen crazy growth in the number of breweries. Even the Czech Republic, where the number of breweries had been quite stable, has suddenly started sprouting dozens of new ones.

The one exception? Germany. The number of breweries hasn't changed significantly in the last few years. Which has left it lagging far behind. For the first time since the 19th century, it doesn't have the most breweries in Europe. The UK caught up in 2012 and has since powered ahead. If you'd told me 10 years ago that there would be over 1,500 breweries in the UK, I'd have felt your bumps.

The effect has been to drastically reduce Germany's share of the breweries in Europe. From over a third in 2009 it fell to less than a quarter in 2014. While the UK's share has risen for just under 20% to almost 25%.

Paricularly striking is the growth in countries that aren't traditionally beer drinking. In Italy, France and Greece the number of breweries doubled. While in Portugal the increase is fivefold. In Spain almost sevenfold.

Number of breweries in Europe 2009 - 2014

Country

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Austria

172

172

170

173

194

198

Belgium

127

135

123

150

160

168

Bulgaria

8

8

13

13

13

16

Croatia

7

7

7

6

6

6

Cyprus

2

2

2

2

2

4

Czech
Republic

133

151

191

213

308

338

Denmark

N/A

N/A

150

150

150

150

Estonia

6

6

6

7

10

15

Finland

18

25

25

30

43

49

France

322

387

442

503

580

663

Germany

1,331

1,333

1,347

1,340

1,349

1,352

Greece

11

11

17

18

20

20

Hungary

N/A

N/A

24

50

50

50

Ireland

26

26

26

26

30

50

Italy

256

308

350

421

509

599

Latvia

17

15

16

16

25

29

Lithuania

49

41

73

73

73

75

Luxembourg

6

7

7

7

7

7

Malta

1

1

1

1

1

2

Netherlands

N/A

N/A

125

165

N/A

263

Norway

22

30

33

40

54

77

Poland

89

103

117

132

155

133

Portugal

7

7

9

10

18

35

Romania

21

18

17

17

18

22

Slovakia

15

19

25

30

38

44

Slovenia

22

22

N/A

N/A

30

51

Spain

47

65

88

132

221

332

Sweden

30

45

65

75

100

151

Switzerland

280

328

360

375

409

483

Turkey

11

11

11

11

12

9

United
Kingdom

745

828

948

1,300

1,490

1,700

Total EU 28

3,468

3,742

4,384

5,060

5,600

6,522

Total All

3,781

4,111

4,788

5,486

6,075

7,091

Source:

The Brewers of Europe Beer Statistics 2015 edition, page 21.

Very exciting times. I wonder what the future will hold? Obviously, there's a limit somewhere to the number of breweries that can operate. But I suspect we're still a long way shy of that.

I'm a bit surprised by the German numbers too, but then it occurred to me that a lot of the recent additions there don't have their own brewing kit. They are either cuckoo brewers who contract the wet work to an existing brewery, or in some cases they are not even brewers - they have a brand/recipe/idea and hire a brewmaster and brewery to help develop it. Presumably neither would be included here, though as more and more cuckoos acquire brewkit that will change.

What's even more interesting is that these numbers are lower than the real figures, because at the end of 2014 Norway had at least 121 breweries, not just 77. I suspect 77 is the number of members of the Norwegian Brewers Association, which is significantly lower than the real figure. I assume the same applies to the other countries.

Ron,that is what surprises me because the scene and public interest in beers seems radically different than from 2009.And even in brewery startups, the numbers SHOULD reflect that. Or are there still so many breweries dying that it evens out?

I mean, when you compare, let's say, the Berlin beer scene alone from 2008 to today......

but is Berlin typical of what is going on in Germany as a whole? And how many breweries have sprung up? If you look at any decent-sized town in the UK or Holland, multiple new breweries have sprung up in the last couple of years. You'd expect a city the size or Berlin to have two or three dozen breweries.

Germany's overly conservative attitude towards beer is stifling the potential. Any new breweries that pop up are just barely replacing those lost due to slow decay. If the government would just get out of the way it would become a growth industry. I don't buy that there is not a market for beer variety in Germany. 10 years ago my friends in Hamburg we're drinking nothing but Astra. Now they don't touch the stuff as they are now drinking the IPA's , Porters, etc. from new local breweries like Altes Madchen and Kellerbiers, Rauchbiers, Mahrs U, etc. from Franconia when they can get it. Stop fining companies for having the audacity to call a Milk Stout a beer and get out of the way and let it take off.

Ron,I have to admit I don't know much about UK beer culture. But with the netherlands, the few small breweries that were there before the new hype always have been a bit progressive, right? I mean T'ij for instance is there since the 80ies.I'd argue that german beer culture is very different from that. Up until a few years ago, beer simply was not "fashionable" and "modern". Sure, you had a few tiny brewers that made something different, but basically also the newly founded brewpubs in the 1980ies in germany made Helles, Dunkles and Weizen.And since a few years, that is slowly changing, and also the "bigger players", the mid sized breweries,the tiny ones, everyone is starting making Ales, no matter if they are in Berlin, Hamburg or Franconia- and I think that is the biggest change in germany, even if the numbers do not reflect that, but the culture around beer is changing. If for the better or for the worse is a totally different question.I personally don't doubt the numbers, I'm just surprised by them......

surprisingly, Switzerland didn't have much of a brewing industry until the late 19th century. It was a wine-drinking country until the vinyards were hit by phylloxera. I believe that the most new breweries are in French-speaking Switzerland.

the first wave of Dutch breweries mostly copied Belgian styles. It isn't a question of existing breweries suddenly making Ales, but of a huge wave of new brewery openings. It took me by surprise that there was suddenly this enormous energy in the Dutch beer scene that hadn't been there before. I can't see any trace of something similar happening in Germany. It looks more to me like the position in Holland 20 years ago: a few new breweries and interesting beers, but on the margins.

A bit late to the party, but +1 to Barm for the comment about new breweries making terrible beer. Honestly, we really don't need 100's of new breweries pumping out indistinct gawdawful IPAs and sour beers (in addition to imperial stouts, & etc...).